Factors associated with stress among adolescents in the city of Nawabshah, Pakistan

Objective: To identify the risk factors of stress among school-going adolescents in rural Nawabshah, Pakistan. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2005, comprising 800 school-going children of 10-16 years of age in Nawabshah, through simple random sampling. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire to assess the potential risk factors of stress. A modified version of Perceived stress scale was utilized to measure stress level. SPSS 12 was used for statistical analysis, while multiple linear regression analysis was run to identify the factors associated with stress in the study population. Results: Of the total, 529 (66%) children belonged to state-run schools while 271 (34%) were studying at private facilities. The mean age was 13.7±1.3 years. The level of stress was positively associated with the number of siblings, parental conflicts, the age of the mother and the number of rooms in the household. There was decreased level of stress among female adolescents (n=474; 59.3%) who had prior information about pubertal body changes than the boys (n=326; 40.8%). Conclusion: The study showed that stress among adolescents can be reduced by modifying socio-economic and demographic factors.